I Came Back For You
by obsydiandreams
Summary: Sequel to Left Behind, but can standalone.  What happens when Jack returns from his time with the Doctor.   Jack/Ianto with mentions of the team.


Second part to Left Behind, but can stand alone as well… Theoretically there will be a third and last part coming soon. Depends on if the boys leave me alone to write my own stuff or not.

Usual disclaimers apply: Ianto owns Jack. This is just a fact. They're both owned by people who mistreat them…. Who, for the record, aren't me.

Comments are love!

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Even months later, the Hub felt so empty without Jack. The team had done what they always do and kept going without him, despite all of them missing him in their own ways. After some debate (and some problems with some alien technology) Gwen was made into their surrogate leader. They didn't really need a leader, but…. Mostly someone had to make the hard decisions. And Gwen had proven to be right for the job. She was caring and efficient and took care of all of them. Tosh had taken out her sadness by painting the dragon on the wall of the Hub. It was a beautiful mix of oriental and Welsh, carefully rendered on the concrete of the wall. Owen… well… he took it out on everyone else. He was sarcastic and cynical and cruel… more so then usual.

Then there was Ianto. The quiet Welshman had spent the first month that Jack was gone, brooding in his office. He slept in the bunker under Jack's office, surrounding himself with his lover's scent. After that month, he came out of his shell a little bit. Mostly, that was Tosh's doing. She dragged him out for a beer one night, when he had been at the Hub for a week straight. He had even ordered takeaway to avoid leaving. He was staying in hopes of hearing the sound of the Doctor's transport. After that night, Ianto had begun to open up a bit.

Tosh began pulling him out to the bar at least once a week, sometimes more. Gwen would join them occasionally, and sometimes, even Owen would come, although, he often left with a random girl that he would pick up. And so the team grew into more than that. They grew into a family. They used their grief for Jack as an excuse to become a close knit, cohesive unit.

So much so, that when Jack reappeared so nonchalantly, they ignored him and kept going. Efficiently and as the team they had become, they kept working. Jack followed them quietly back to the Hub, after they had neutralized the Blowfish. (Ok, so after he had solved the problem for them. But only because Ianto had a momentary lapse in concentration) Regardless, they fixed it. And they fixed it well. Then Jack pushed Gwen too far. Because, after he had reappeared, all of their tension levels had skyrocketed invisibly. So Jack made one too many cocky remarks and did everything but acknowledge his absence from their lives for so long. So she lashed out at him.

And then there was a fiasco. That's what Ianto thought of it as. The fiasco with John Hart and the explosive and Gwen being taken hostage. Then it was all over and they had to avoid themselves for a whole night. Jack was feeling generous… and the need to get back into the team's good graces, so he bought them each a room at the nicest hotel in Cardiff and massages for each. When they got there and Jack distributed the keys, one to each of the team (Gwen had brought Rhys), they each went towards their respective rooms. All except Ianto. The Welshman stood slightly uncomfortably staring at Jack. Jack raised an eyebrow and looked back at Ianto.

Neither spoke for a full minute, just looking at each other, all sorts of tensions rising. Neither wanted to break the silence or the eye contact. Finally, with a lighthearted smirk, Jack took Ianto's hand, and led him up to room that he had reserved for himself. Ianto followed willingly, unable to speak. He wondered where this was going. He had, of course, known that Jack would return. There was never a doubt. He also knew that Jack would never stay in one place for very long. It wasn't in the Captain's nature. He had replayed so many versions of this return in his mind, some good, some bad, some… almost indifferent. The one constant in all of these visions was pain. He would be hurt in the end, because that was Jack. Ianto wondered if he cared.

They went into the room, and Ianto watched as Jack pulled a pair of glasses and a bottle out of the kitchenette area of the suite. His eyes never leaving his Captain, he couldn't speak. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to pull Jack close to him and kiss him into oblivion. He wanted to hit him, and keep hitting him until Jack was unconscious. He wanted to run and hide. Instead, he sat there, silent and waited for Jack to explain. Jack looked into Ianto's eyes… stared into his soul, and then bared his own. The look of pure pain and anguish and sorrow in Jack's eyes nearly broke Ianto's heart yet again, and Ianto realized then that he didn't need an explanation. He didn't need reasons or excuses… he just needed Jack. And with that realization, he took smiled softly, pulled Jack in close and whispered, "I know." And kissed him softly, closing his eyes.

The kiss melted into whispered words and soft touches as they rediscovered each other slowly. For one, it had been a year of torture and pain of every sort. For the other, it had been three months of worry and fear and waning hope. Each of these emotions played out in their passionate caresses as they searched each other's souls and hearts. And when it was over, and they lay in each other's arms, Ianto could feel the heat of the sun that was Jack Harkness pulling him in again. As Jack slipped slowly into sleep, he heard the Welshman's whispered words, "please Jack, don't burn me again."

TBC


End file.
